Oliver and Alicia
by aspirer
Summary: The title really says it all. There are few fics, if any, for this pairing. Check it out, you might enjoy it.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing but for an incurable infatuation with the Harry Potter series.

Oliver scowled at the girl standing before him, before abruptly turning to Charlie and complaining loudly 'But she's a second year!'

Seventh year Charlie Weasley stared down at him. 'Wood, she clearly outflew Patrick. I know he's your best mate and I know he's a third year, and I also know,' Charlie raised his voice a fraction as he saw Oliver's mouth open to argue 'that he was on the team last year. But this one's a better Chaser, and that's,' he raised his voice louder still as Oliver's face continued to darken 'final'.

Charlie turned to the girl in front them who was staring up at the seventh year and the fourth year with obvious apprehension.

'Welcome to the team…Alicia, was it?' Charlie smiled.

The girl nodded 'A-Alicia Spinnet' she faltered as she watched the boy called Oliver deepen his scowl. Charlie ignored him.

'So, who taught you to play?' he asked kindly, making as stab at alleiviating her unease.

Alicia brightened slightly. 'My cousins' she gave a tentative smile 'They're Quidditch nuts. The older one, Jeremy, wants to play Keeper for England, he-'

'I'm going to play Keeper for England' Oliver interrupted loudly. Charlie rounded on him.

'For heaven's sake, Wood! How old are you? Last I checked, you were 14 so stop acting 10 years younger!'

Oliver fell silent, turned on his heel and stalked away, but not before tossing both Charlie and Alicia contemptuous glances.

'Don't pay any attention to him, Spinnet' Charlie glared after Oliver's retreating back. 'Little diva loves getting his own way'

Alicia, who was somewhat surprised when addressed by her first name for the first time in her twelve years, swallowed and nodded, already regretting signing up for the trials.

(A/N) Hi. I'd appreciate a review if anyone has any thoughts, any at ALL, on the story, the pairing, what direction I should take, anything! Thanking you in advance 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing but for an incurable infatuation with the Harry Potter series.

Oliver pulled on his robes, ignoring the rest of the team, who were chatting loudly to each other over the change room. Charlie, who was not only team captain, but the school's most talented Seeker, was complaining about his youngest brother, Robert, or something, to Celeste Riverhawk, a sixth year Chaser. The two Beaters, both seventh years, Angelo Christakis and Caleb Forsythe, were having a heated discussion over the Chudley Cannons latest game, and the alleged foul committed by the Beater Thompson. The other Chaser, fifth year Isobel Keates, was arguing with the changing room mirror, who was busy telling her that her eyes were too square and her head was too round.

The only team member who was silent, apart from Oliver, was the new Chaser, second year, Alicia Spinnet. She was lacing up her shoes, her head down, trying to look, if possible, smaller and more insignificant than she already was. Oliver snorted quietly. It was pathetic, really. Charlie was a good guy and all, but he kicked Patrick Castle, Oliver's best mate, off the team, and replaced him with a second year girl, just because Patrick laughed at Charlie when Charlie told him what his dad did for a living.

Oliver picked up his broom and followed the team, who were now all moving out to the pitch for their first practice of the year. Alicia was the last to go, trailing behind them with an old Comet Two Sixty that was almost as tall as her.

The team gathered around Charlie in the middle of the pitch, the bright sun bouncing off their faces. Charlie was speaking.

''Everyone, please welcome the newest member of our team, Alicia Spinnet. She's replaced Patrick Castle as Chaser'

The team all turned to her and smiled, as though they had only just noticed her. Nice as the gesture was, Alicia just wanted them to turn back around and for Charlie to tell them to start flying. Mercifully, moments later, Charlie did just that.

'Okay team, we're going to do a few trials, just to get Alicia comfortable working with us. Christakis! Quit it!'

Angelo jumped, and stuffed his wand in his pocket, away from Caleb's ears, which he had been bewitching to grow.

Charlie knelt down to the chest at his feet and opened it, releasing the Bludger's and the Snitch and straightening up, Quaffle in hand. Celeste, Isobel, Oliver, Angelo, and Caleb mounted their brooms and followed Charlie upwards. Alicia, who hadn't expected this, fumbled for her broom, mounting it clumsily and nearly slipping off as she rose into the air at breakneck speed in order to catch up to her teammates.

Cursing herself for her less-than-glamorous start to the practice, Alicia straightened up, slowed her broom slightly and flew to the side of the other Chasers, who were lined up. Charlie threw the Quaffle at her, and Alicia, still recovering from her rocky start, lunged for it clumsily, letting it slip though her scrabbling hands and fall like a stone towards the ground. _Whoosh!_ Celeste had zoomed underneath her, picking the Quaffle from the air like she was leisurely buying groceries, and tossing it to Isobel, who caught it just as effortlessly.

Isobel flew like an arrow toward Oliver, who was hovering by the goalposts. Isobel threw the Quaffle in the air and spun the tail of her broom into it, hard, sending it rocketing toward the left goalpost. Oliver, who had drifted almost lazily to the right without noticing, shot to the left, but not before the Quaffle sailed smoothly through the hoop.

Isobel let out a victorious yell and lapped the pitch, before high-fiving Celeste. Alicia watched this with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She was stupid. Why had she bothered to try out in her second year? She was nowhere near as talented as the rest of the team. Even Oliver, who'd made an elementary mistake by drifting to the side, was faster and had aim that clearly surpassed her own-

'On your left, Spinnet!' Charlie's voice broke through her thoughts urgently. Alicia looked over her left shoulder, right as a Bludger barrelled into her face. There was a sickening crack. She grabbed onto her broom as the Bludger's force knocked her sideways. Tasting blood dripping from her nose, she began to plummet towards the ground. Through the extraordinary pain in her nose, and the blood now gushing over her lips and down her chin, she remembered vaguely that she was falling. She looked below her, and her heart pounded in her ears as she was greeted by the not-so-welcoming sight of the ground rising up quickly to meet her. Using every ounce of strength she possessed, she yanked on the handle of her broom, pulling up and drawing her broom level to the ground, a mere few feet above it. The broom stopped crisply, and she slid forwards, rolling weakly off it and landed with a thump on the ground.

She shut her eyes. 'Let it be a dream, please, let it be a dream'. But she knew from her throbbing nose that she was very much awake. The sound of six pairs of feet touching down around her made her open her eyes.

Charlie's face swam into focus. She could hear Isobel and Celeste anxiously asking if she was alright. Caleb was stuttering.

'I'm so sorry, I didn't realise she was drifting, I thought she was going to go after the Quaffle, Angelo was just below her I was aiming it for him-'

Charlie helped her sit up. 'Geez, Spinnet, what did you think you were doing? C'mon, we better get you up to the hospital wing' he added more kindly.

Alicia let herself be lifted to her feet. She was now more aware of her beet red face than she was of her most likely broken nose.

'…We'll finish off early today' Charlie was saying as he picked up Alicia's discarded broom and gently nudged her off the pitch 'Same time on Monday night, okay?'

The team murmured assent and moved toward the changing room. Charlie steered her toward the castle.

'Gee, that was eventful' he joked half-heartedly 'Spinnet, you've really got to be aware of everything and everyone else when you're on the pitch-'

He continued to quietly lecture her but she was hardly listening. She knew all this, about having to be aware. She knew all this, so why couldn't she put it into practice? Her first ever practice on her first real team and she'd lasted less than ten minutes, consequentially cutting it short for the rest of the team.

They'd reached the hospital wing now. Charlie handed her over to Madam Pomfrey, who took one look at her, muttered an incantation, and siphoned off the blood, mending her nose. But the hollow feeling inside her didn't improve as she trudged up to Gryffindor Tower alone, shutting herself in her dorm and not coming down for dinner that night.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing but for an incurable infatuation with the Harry Potter series.

Alicia woke to the sound of cursing and a loud whining noise coming from the foot of her bed. Angelina Johnson, her best friend, was grappling with an alarm clock sent to her by her brother the morning before. The clock didn't seem to want to be quiet. It was emitting a high-pitched wail, and Angelina was attempting to hex it into silence.

'Silencio! Silencio! SILENCIO!' she bellowed, before finally cracking and hurling it though the open window. Alicia sat up and watched as the clock became smaller and smaller, hurtling through the air before splashing soundly into the Black Lake. Angelina, panting, looked up in surprise at Alicia.

'Oh hey,' she said in a slightly surprised tone 'Sorry, did I wake you?'

'Nah, it was the clock' Alicia said as she stretched.

'Bloody piece of junk wouldn't shut it' Angelina said darkly, glaring out the window where, moments before, the clock had wailed it's final wail. 'Anyway, you should rest. I heard what happened to you last night. Does your nose still hurt?'

Angelina sat down on the edge of Alicia's bed and peered into her face.

'How'd you find out?' Alicia asked in disbelief.

'Oliver Wood. He was…complaining, I suppose to Patrick Castle, about it. You know, the guy you replaced.

'Great, I feel so welcomed'

'Hey don't beat yourself up. Wood's just bitter cause you're a better flier than his best mate. Man, you have no idea how lucky you are to be on the House Team. What I wouldn't give…'

Angelina had stretched out and was staring at the ceiling.

'Ange' Alicia leaned over her 'you would just as easily be on the House Team if you'd tried out. You're a far better flier then me'

Angelina gritted her teeth, cursing Professor Snape who had given her a detention the afternoon of the tryouts for failing to produce a perfect Yawning Draught.

'Yeah, well. Next year I'll join you'

'I don't think I'll be on the team next year'

'Why not?'

'I'm thinking of quitting'

'What!' Angelina sat up 'Why? Alicia, this is a great opportunity'

'Ange, you know I've never had your passion or talent for Quidditch. I just got lucky at the tryouts. You should have seen the practice yesterday'

Alicia then proceeded to tell Angelina not only the full story of what had happened to her nose, but the entire disastrous practice. When she'd finished, instead of receiving sympathy, liked she'd hoped, Angelina merely waved her hand.

'Nerves, that's all it was. You can't back out now. The captain, Charlie or Charles or whatever. He'll have to hold more tryouts and Gryffindor will be disadvantaged for the Cup!'

Alicia barely had time to marvel at Angelina's concern for the House Team, before Angelina had sat up and was dragging her out of the dorm and into the Common Room.

They crossed the floor to the entrance to the boy's dorm and walked up the flight of stairs to the second year's room. Angelina rapped on the door.

'What?' came a muffled, extremely tired sounding voice.

'Fred, George, open up it's Ange'

The door opened a crack, and a bleary-eyed second year boy who was definitely NOT one of the Weasley twins stared out.

'They're still asleep' he yawned 'As was I, mere moments ago'

'Move it, Christopher'

Angelina pushed through the door and crossed to a bed in which a head of flame red hair poked out from beneath the covers.

'Fred! Wake up!' Angelina shook him, as Christopher, mumbling incoherently eased back into his bed and rolled over, snoring softly. Alicia groaned.

'Ange, I'm tired, can we just go, please? They'll be up soon, we can talk to them then'

'I'm up now' came a groggy voice as Fred Weasley sat up, rubbing his eyes. He stared over at Angelina who was now assaulting George

'What's the matter with you, woman?'

'Alicia wants to quit the House Team'

'What?' George sat up, blinking stupidly and looking around disorientedly.

'That's right' Angelina was saying. Alicia yawned loudly sitting down on the edge of Fred's bed. Fred was staring at her in disbelief. Then his features hardened slightly.

'Was it Charlie?'

'No, Fred of course it's n-not' Alicia stifled another yawn.

'Then what is it? Are any of the team members giving you a hard time? Have you…oh wait, Alicia is this about you getting injured yesterday'

'Perhaps' Alicia replied curtly

George rolled his eyes 'Hello? Nerves! Happens to every player! You're so lucky to be on that team! Charlie made it clear he wasn't going to let us in this year 'cause it would look like he's 'favouring family'. Favouring family! That's exactly what he should be doing, the prat!'

'Okay, o-okay!' Alicia said as another yawn escaped her 'I haven't actually said I'll quit, I was just thinking about it. Look, Ange, if you let me go back to bed now, I'll go to the next practice, okay? Now, I'll be going, as we still have an hour until breakfast'

'An excellent point' Fred nodded and flopped back on his pillow. Angelina followed after Alicia shutting the door behind her.

'Yes!' she hollered as they made their way back down the stairs 'I knew you'd reconsider'

'Shut up Ange, you'll wake someone!'

As if on cue, the door they were passing at that very moment swung open to reveal a very angry looking and a very shirtless Oliver Wood. He looked momentarily stunned to see two second year girls outside his door, one of which had just joined his Quidditch team, but he was quick to recover.

'Do you think you could be any louder? Some of us are trying to sleep!' he growled in his half awake state.

'Relax! We were just leaving' Alicia snapped, too tired to be polite. Oliver looked slightly surprised, before tossing them as withering a glance he could muster in his current state of semi-consciousness and shutting the door loudly.

He stood at the door, listening as the two girls footsteps disappeared down towards the common room.

'What was that?' Across the room, Patrick Castle rolled over in his bed and stared at him through bleary eyes.

'Just that Spinner, or Spinnet kid. The one who replaced you'

'What was she doing in the boys dorm?'

'How would I know?' Oliver retorted irritably before rolling into his bed and closing his eyes. Why _were_ the two girls in the boy's dorm? Were they coming down from the second year dorm? If so, what were they doing up there? 'And why am I thinking about it?' Oliver thought as he drifted off to sleep.

Back in the girl's dorm, Alicia was doing the same, right before Angelina's voice cut through her dreamlike state of mind.

'You know, that Wood guy might be a bit of a prat, but what abs!'

A/N: So what did everyone think? Many thanks to my reviewers SurFer ChiiCa, citysnidget, Fooruman the Great and Will There Ever Be A Rainbow, and of course, Marama. Christmas Blessings and virtual candy canes and cookies to all!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing but for an incurable infatuation with the Harry Potter series.

Oliver pulled his broom out from under his bed and raced down the stairs of the boy's dorm. It was Monday night and he was late for practice. Bolting through the common room and diving through the portrait hole, he was threading his arms though the sleeves of his Quidditch robes as he tripped down the stairs to the Entrance Hall. He jumped onto his broom and flew to the pitch, fast.

He touched down, right as the team was exiting the change room.

'Charlie, I'm s-sorry…I was h-h-held up, and…I…' Oliver gasped out an apology.

'Nice of you to join us, Wood' Charlie looked irritated.

'It was Professor Trelawney! I laughed at her glasses and she made me stay to polish the crystal balls!' Oliver gulped when he had regained the use of his lungs.

'Well then, you've obviously had some good practice and now you can polish the school broom's' Charlie, clearly still miffed, shoved a jar of polish and a rag into his hands and pointed to the school broom shed.

Oliver stared at the polish in his hand for a second and then looked up at Charlie. Oliver had _never_ been punished in Quidditch before, and remained the only member of the current team to have not yet committed a foul. And now he was missing practice because of that stupid overgrown Divination bat.

He turned and walked slowly over to the broom shed. Charlie turned to the rest of the team. 'Right, because we don't have our Keeper at the moment, Riverhawk, Keates and Spinnet, you guys are going to work on formation' ordered Charlie sounding like a drill sergeant.

'Yes sir' Isobel gave him a mock salute as he faced away from her to give Angelo and Caleb their orders. Celeste leaned down and scooped the Quaffle from the chest it lived in, mounted her broom and rose up into the air. Isobel and Alicia followed suit.

'Ok' Celeste said when they were level with each other 'we can take turns catching and scoring and time ourselves'

She pulled her wand out of her pocket and waved it twice muttering '_Glassime_'

A small hourglass appeared, floating in the air next to her. Celeste nodded to Isobel, who nodded back. Celeste prodded the hourglass with her wand and tossed the Quaffle in Isobel's general direction. As the glass turned and the sand began to filter through, Isobel swooped underneath the Quaffle grabbed it and sped down the length of the pitch, holding the Quaffle tight against her. Alicia's jaw dropped. She had never seen anyone move that fast before. Isobel had reached the goalposts and was leaning back, before hurling the Quaffle into the hoop as hard as she could. It slipped neatly through and Celeste prodded the hourglass again, which disappeared, emitting a puff of smoke and a small piece of parchment. Celeste took it and read it out, as Isobel, retrieved Quaffle under one arm, zoomed back toward them.

'9 seconds'

Isobel swore loudly. '4 seconds above my personal best!'

Alicia felt sick.

Celeste turned to her 'Ok, Alicia, your turn' She gave her a kind smile as she conjured the hourglass again, but Alicia hardly noticed. She was staring at the Quaffle intensely, determined not to miss it. Sure enough, her mind skipped into fast forward as Celeste tossed it to her. She wrapped her arm around it, hugging it close against her, trying to make herself as small as she could. She leant close to the broom handle as she gathered speed. Upon reaching the goalposts, she slowed, pulling her arm back, and, just as she'd seen Isobel do, hurled it at the goalposts, her heart swelling with elation as she watched it sail though the middle hoop.

She looped the air and barrelled toward the fallen Quaffle. She stretched out her arm as she skimmed the grass, collecting it on the way and zoomed up towards the clouds and the two Chasers at the opposite end. Celeste read out the parchment.

'15 seconds' she smiled 'not bad at all for a second year'

Isobel clapped her on the back. Alicia knew she was far from perfect but she still couldn't help feeling almost exhausted with relief that she had started well.

'Well done Spinnet!' Charlie was flying toward them 'I knew you had it in you!'

Alicia felt giddy with adrenaline for the remainder of the practice. The three Chasers continued to trial each other, and Alicia had refined her work to 13 seconds by the end. She was nowhere near as talented as Isobel or Celeste who both had achieved times under 7 seconds, but she couldn't squash the feeling of excitement inside her.

'Great effort today, Spinnet!' Charlie congratulated her as the team walked back toward the change rooms 'Of course, it's very different in a real game when there are other players and a Keeper in your way…' and he was off again, lecturing her good-naturedly. Alicia knew she should listen, but her mind was back in the air, and all the goals she'd made and missed today.

'See ya, Alicia'

'Well done today, second year!'

'See you on Thursday night, Spinnet!'

The content feeling bloomed inside her as the team yelled their goodbyes to each other, and she heard her name included. She basically floated back to Gryffindor Tower, where she found Fred, George and Angelina ready to hear about everything.

PPPPPPP

Oliver was in quite a different mood when the team finished up practice that afternoon. He was the only member of the team who didn't yell goodbye to anyone, the rage in him simmering, ready to boil over at anyone foolish enough to push the buttons. He stalked up the stairs to the Entrance Hall. Oliver wasn't a generally angrily person, and was actually regarded as quite amiable, but tonight, he was almost awed by the unfairness of the past few days. Patrick being kicked off the team, Patrick being replaced by a second year _girl_, the stupid girl cutting their first practice by 40 minutes because she couldn't keep an eye on the Bludgers, getting detention from Trelawney and finally getting punished by Charlie, who was usually the most reasonable of Quidditch players that Oliver had ever come across.

Oliver pounded up to Gryffindor Tower, spat out the password (_Spellotape_), and stomped through the portrait hole, colliding painfully with a group of people exiting from the other side.

'Ouch!' Oliver looked up. It was the Spinnet kid and some of her second year friends, including, he noticed, the other girl who he'd caught outside his room. Alicia had fallen straight out of the portrait hole onto the corridor floor. Oliver stood there for a second, momentarily dazed from the collision before he noticed Alicia's friends glaring at him as they helped her up. He blinked.

'Oh, sorry,' he murmured 'let me help…'

He bent down to assist them, but Alicia was already on her feet, the group leading her away toward the Owlery. Alicia looked back for a second, a puzzled look on her face. She didn't look hurt or anything, just politely confused.

PPPPPPPP

The next practice was a few nights later. Oliver made sure he was the first person there, to makeup for his mistake on Monday, and was changed and ready before anyone else even got there. Charlie entered the changing rooms and saw Oliver standing there. He smiled in greeting and went to change, before looking up as though he'd suddenly remembered something.

'Hey…what's this I hear about you pushing Spinnet around?'

Oliver was stunned. 'What?'

'My brother, Fred, he said you pushed Alicia over as she exited the portrait hole'

'No, he didn't' Oliver spun around. Alicia was walking in through the door to the change room. 'Sorry Charlie, that's just Fred being an idiot. I tripped over Oliver when we collided outside the portrait hole'

Charlie stared in mild surprise for a few moments before shrugging. 'Sure, Spinnet, if you say so' he unearthed the key to the broom cupboard from his pocket and exited to get the chest of balls.

Oliver looked at Alicia, who was lacing up her shoes.

'…Thanks' Oliver mumbled in as grateful a tone as he could muster. Alicia's head shot up. She looked slightly afraid, as though him speaking to her graciously frightened her a little.

'For what?' she asked studying her laces intently.

'Telling Charlie'

'Why wouldn't I? It's the truth'

They both fell silent, the atmosphere screaming tension. It dragged out to breaking point, right up until the rest of the team members' had entered, conversing loudly.

They began their practice with the trials they had used the practice before, but this time Oliver was down the other end of the pitch guarding the hoops.

Celeste and Isobel both successfully succeeded in getting three out of their five shots past Oliver and into the hoops. Oliver grew more frustrated by the second, and each time Alicia's turn came around, Oliver would belt the Quaffle away from the goal hoops with such ferocity, he nearly unseated her.

She clambered back onto her broom, which she had rolled in mid air in order to avoid the flying red ball and stared at Oliver. He stared back, and then did something that Alicia seethe. He smiled. Not a genuine smile, not a nervous smile, but a sneaky, conniving very, very small smile like he didn't even realise he was doing it. Seemingly unconsciously, his right eyebrow quirked upward. Alicia was momentarily stunned before narrowing her own to eyes. She wasn't intimidated. She took this as a challenge.

She slowly took her position as Celeste conjured the hourglass, all the while, concentrating fiercely on the Quaffle. As soon as it left Celeste's grip, Alicia caught it with a snap and zipped down the pitch. She reached Oliver's end, and instead of slowing as she usually did, she veered sharply at the last second and sped to the right, making a hurling motion with her right arm. As Oliver turned to follow her, she paused, mid toss, changed direction of her arm and heaved the Quaffle through the middle hoop, now vacant.

A cheer erupted from the team, all except for Oliver, who looked, for a split second, absolutely livid, before smoothing over his features nonchalantly.

'Nice work, Spinnet!' Charlie's voice filled her right ear as he flew past her to collect the falling Quaffle.

''Awesome feinting' Angelo grinned at Alicia. She smiled back at him, her heart singing sweet revenge on Oliver.

After practice, Oliver approached her.

'Very…very clever' he seemed to be trying to force a smile. Alicia smirked at him.

'You don't like losing, do you Wood?' Alicia didn't know what had come over her. What had happened to her shy, polite nature? Oliver appeared to be thinking along the same lines. He looked like he'd been slapped. Alicia tightened her smirk and, ever so slightly raised her right eyebrow as she turned and walked away.

Oliver stood, for a moment, completely still, before shaking his head slightly. She's a bloody second year! How dare she challenge him like that? Not that she'd _actually_ challenged him, but…that smirk conveyed a thousand insults. And she knew it. This meant war.

AN: Hello all, I'm sorry I haven't updated for a while. Again, giant thankyous to all my reviewers, you mean so much to me. Hope everyone is enjoying their holidays and I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This chapter is dedicated to Tortured Maz – there you go, Marama, I wrote one for you ;p – and if anyone has stumbled upon this fic and has any comments at all, please review. Thanks!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing but for an incurable infatuation with the Harry Potter series

Disclaimer: I own nothing but for an incurable infatuation with the Harry Potter series.

AN: Wow. So it's been like, two or three years since I've updated this story and I figure I'll just see how I go with continuing?? I've never stopped loving the HP fandom, I merely have not had time until now. Hopefully there is a reader out there who is still interested…

Fred, George, Angelina and Alicia clinked their bottles together. It was late at night in the Gryffindor common room and the fire was roaring behind them as they toasted each other with Butterbeer the twins had pilfered from the kitchen. Alicia had allowed herself to relax tonight, forgoing homework to fill her friends in on her first successful practice. Angelina's eyes were glowing with repressed envy.

'You are so…you are so LUCKY,' she took a huge gulp of Butterbeer and shook her head, mock bitterness written over her face. 'I just…to see the older players…to have them teach you…lucky cow.' She finished moodily, trying to hide her smile. Fred tugged on one of her braids and clapped her on the back.

'Relax, Ange! Your time will come…but for now, we're putting Alicia first, just so you know.' And he turned his back on her until she emptied the remainder of her drink onto his hair. Alicia and George roared with laughter, drawing contemptuous glances from a snooty portrait of an elderly witch. The four students leaned over onto their stomachs as Alicia began drawing an outline of the pitch on the carpet. Her wand was emitting little purple threads that snaked their way across the floor to form a picture. Little gold threads formed the paths of the players; red for the Quaffle, Bludgers and Snitch. Alicia tapped them and began narrating the practice, detailing every little thing she could remember.

'Angelo is so fast, you should see him swing at a Bludger-'

'We have, genius, he was on the team last year.'

'Shutup, Fred, he's so much better when you see him up close. And Isobel has the absolute best balance I've ever seen. Charlie caught the Snitch in less than fifteen minutes yesterday, and that's while he was training us as well-'

'Ah yes, Saint Charles. Maybe we should write to Mum and let her know-'

George's sniggering was interrupted by the portrait hole swinging open. They all shoved their bottles inside their robes and looked around. Oliver and Patrick were stepping through the portrait hole, covered in rain and mud and dragging their broomsticks. Oliver had grass in his hair and was laughing at something Patrick was saying, but they both stopped dead at the sight of the second years. Alicia looked away quickly, trying to think of something to say to Ange, to pretend nothing had interrupted them, but her mind was somersaulting what she had just seen. Fred and George were still glaring at the two fourth years, and no one in the room had said a word. Patrick was the one to break the silence.

'C'mon,' it was barely audible and he tugged Oliver with him until they reached the stairs and disappeared as quickly as they'd come. After a second, the twins finally looked around at her. Alicia struggled to arrange her face but her attempt at nonchalance obviously failed because Angelina reached over and touched her hand.

'Don't worry. He's got nothing on you.'

'Yeah, and if he did, we'd sort him out for you.' Fred twirled his wand between his fingers

Alicia barely heard them.

'Charlie won't let that git back on the team anyway, not in a million years.' George said darkly.

'Maybe they were just flying for bit of fun anyway-'

'I can't believe this.' Alicia stood up wearily. She ran a hand through her hair and turned to the stairs. 'I have to quit.'

'No!' three voices at once startled her.

'You saw that!' she exploded 'Wood's coaching his mate in secret so I can be replaced!'

'Yeah, but Charlie-'

'It doesn't matter what Charlie says or does, the point is, Wood hates me so much he can't bear to be on the same team as me! Would you fly with someone like that?' Alicia didn't wait for an answer, but headed to the stairs, stepping on the charmed diagram as she went.

PPPPPPPPPP

Oliver threw his broom across the room, causing the sleeping boys to stir. Patrick grabbed his arm and pulled him back outside their dorm. 'What's wrong with you?'

'Nothing!' Oliver shrugged him off and turned back to the dorm.

'Is this about the Spinner kid?'

'She saw us! And so did Charlie's brothers!'

'So what? We weren't doing anything wrong.' Oliver rolled his eyes and made to wrench the door open but Patrick didn't stop. 'Mate, calm down! Maybe this'll intimidate her and she'll resign anyway.' Oliver looked around at Patrick who was holding his hands up, as if to reason. 'Problem solved.'

'I didn't…I didn't mean for them to see. Yet.' He couldn't quite look Patrick in the eye. 'It just makes me feel…mate, she looked really upset. And the twins looked pretty mad.'

'Oh no, the second years!' Patrick mocked and ruffled Oliver's hair. 'Go to bed. Stop worrying, it'll be fine.' He leaned over and pushed the door open, ushering Oliver in. Oliver got changed slowly, his mind turning over as he wrestled with his newfound guilt.

PPPPPPPP

Alicia could enjoy approximately three seconds of ignorant bliss the next morning as she woke before the events of last night barrelled into her conciousness. She felt suddenly ill and looked over at her clock. It was early – far too early and Angelina and the other girls were still sleeping. She sat up and got dressed in silence, pulling her broom out from under her bed before exiting the dorm. She got to the bottom of the stairs and stifled a scream as somebody stood up abruptly from the closest chair. She took a breath and saw that it was-

'Oliver,' she was momentarily struck dumb.

'Spinnet,' he was twisting the hem of his sleeve in his hands and was avoiding her gaze. There was a very long, strained silence before Alicia started walking to the portrait hole.

'Spin- Alicia,' he spoke up and she stopped in her tracks. 'Uh…where are you going?' She turned and looked him straight in the eye, fresh fury rising in her.

'To resign,' she said quietly. 'I was going to find Professor McGonagall.' Oliver winced and forced himself to reply.

'Please don't.' she stared at him, looking actually surprised rather than threatening.

'I think we both know you don't mean that,' she said, just as quietly still. Oliver sat down again in the chair. He had never felt quite this uncomfortable.

'I know it looked bad last night.' He began. She opened her mouth to argue but he kept talking. 'Patrick and I we were…just out… flying for the sake of it, y'know…' he could feel the lies dying inside his throat. She sat down wearily in the chair next to him and Oliver tried to hide his surprise.

'Look,' she rubbed her eyes, fatigued 'It's nice of you to try and make me feel better but I really think if you have this much of a problem with me then maybe it's easier for me to just…not be on the team.'

'Spinnet,' he leaned forward 'I feel so bad about what happened last night that I couldn't sleep and came down here to wait for you.' She didn't respond, so he continued through gritted teeth. 'Okay, I just…didn't think. I know it's stupid but I didn't think of the way it would affect anyone else. I just wanted my mate on the team.'

'Well now you can.' She stood to leave again.

'Look-, Spinnet-' he stood as well. 'I have never felt so guilty. Can you please accept my apology? Look, I'm not a big apologiser, this is a big deal.' He cracked a half smile and Alicia turned back.

'What will you tell Patrick?'

'That I talked to Charlie and he wouldn't let him on the team,' Oliver admitted wryly. Alicia half smiled as well.

'Okay. But no more rivalry at practice.' She held her breath slightly, waiting for his response.

'Deal.' There was another very, very awkward pause when both of them deliberated whether to shake hands.

'Okay, well…good. Thankyou,' he shuffled his feet for half a second and turned up the stairs and walked away without looking at her, ignoring the red flush creeping up his neck and face. Alicia felt almost weak with relief. She used her broom for support as she climbed back to her dorm, in such a good mood by the time she arrived, that she woke Angelina by impersonating her alarm clock in brilliant falsetto.

AN: Eh, that is possibly a very stunted end to the chapter, a bit too neat perhaps. Thoughts?


	6. Chapter 6

Their first match was getting closer far too quickly for Alicia's liking

Their first match was getting closer far too quickly for Alicia's liking. All the compliments she had ever received from her family and friends on her Quidditch skills mysteriously vacated her memory when she thought about verseing Hufflepuff and she was finding it hard to sleep.

'Would you GIVE IT A REST.' Angelina spoke up from beneath her pillow one night and Alicia stood in the centre of the room in her pajamas, stretching her arms.

'I'm not making any noise!'

'You have the light on and its THREE IN THE SODDING MORNING.' Angelina lifted the pillow away and glared at her, braids all misshapen and frizzy. 'What good will stretching do now if you get into bed straight after?'

Alicia huffed and flopped into bed without replying.

'For Merlin's sake, thankyou,' Angelina reached over and turned out the light. 'I know the match is in the next couple of days, but you have got to get sleep if you want to play in peak condition.'

Practices were every day, and even during classes, Alicia could walk past a window and look out to the Quidditch pitch to see Charlie or the Hufflepuffs practicing. Isobel waved distractedly to her at breakfast each morning and a couple of times Celeste had bailed the two of them up between classes to discuss strategy. Angelo and Caleb dealt with stress in their own way – seeing how much trouble they could cause without being blamed for it. Charlie yelled at them daily, reminding them that they could be banned from the match if they kept it up.

'Relax, mi capitan,' Caleb grinned through the hood of his Quidditch robes as they walked out onto the pitch in a light rain. 'You know the only teacher who'd ban us would be Snape and that would only be if we were playing Slytherin.'

Alicia mounted her broom and kicked off the pitch. Celeste and Isobel glided around her in a tight circle as she flew, practicing their defense. They had decided to ghost the Chaser with the Quaffle to keep away the opposing Chasers, and one would speed ahead at the right moment to receive it right before the hoops. The Snitch tickled past her ear and as soon as she turned to look at it, it was gone.

'No distractions, Spinnet,' Charlie warned as he sped past her, after the elusive golden flutter. He was perfect for the captaincy. He missed nothing. Celeste looped underneath Alicia as she flew and rocketed toward Oliver, who was swooping round the goal posts.

'Over here, Alicia!' Alicia reached back and tossed the ball through the air, watching it sail smoothly into Celeste's arms. Celeste turned and feinted right and left, flicking the Quaffle lightly from hand to hand as Oliver matched her. They laughed suddenly, mocking their serious movements, and Alicia felt a stab of envy, wishing she felt so at ease with her other teammates. Celeste threw it suddenly, swinging her arm behind her and twisting slightly to let the ball pass her waist and toward the hoop. Oliver's hand snapped out of nowhere and scooped it up.

'YES!' Oliver whooped and circled Celeste, holding out his arm for a high five. 'Come on, don't be sore, Celeste!' His grin was wicked and Celeste begrudgingly smacked his hand with hers.

Oliver reached over to muss her ponytail and then turned to the other two Chasers.

'Spinnet!' Alicia nearly rolled off her broom in shock, but recovered in time to catch the Quaffle as he passed it. She looked up at him and he nodded, a tight lipped smile, and went back to guarding the posts. Alicia smothered her own grin. It was nice to know he was at least trying to get along with her.

Patrick had been more and more sullen as the match drew closer. Oliver was careful not to talk about it, and when he had to run off to practice, he simply said 'I'll be back in a little while.' Patrick hadn't taken it so well when Oliver told him he couldn't retry.

'Look I'm sorry, but Charlie says if he trials you again he'll have to trial everyone and he doesn't have the time.'

'Charlie's a pretentious git.'

'And the captain. Which means he's in charge.'

Patrick looked a little taken aback at this. Like he'd been expecting Oliver to join in with the jibes.

'Mate, I know…' Oliver started, but was unsure how to proceed. 'I know it sucks, it feels weird being beaten by a…by Alicia-'

Patrick's eyes widened and his nostrils seemed to flare. Oliver stopped talking.

'Don't patronise me, okay Oliver? If you want to side with Weasley and leave me off the team, then-'

'Stop blaming me, you can't hold me responsible for you being beaten at the trials!' Oliver bellowed.

'The only reason Charlie replaced me was because I said that thing about his dad-'

'Well, maybe you shouldn't have said it, you prat!'

Patrick now looked actually speechless, but Oliver had turned on his heel and stalked away before he could see it.

They had made up not long after, they always did, and it was hard work being mad at someone who slept in the same room and went to the same classes. But their unspoken agreement was to not talk about Quidditch. And the day before the Hufflepuff match, Patrick started complaining loudly of a sore stomach.

'So go to the hospital wing.' Oliver slurped down his pumpkin juice at dinner and shovelled casserole into his mouth. Patrick grabbed at his belly and moaned theatrically but didn't reply. Oliver wiped his mouth on his sleeve and looked up to see Alicia watching the two of them talk. His face flushed, uncomfortably aware of his manners, but before he could blink, she had looked away and was laughing at something a Weasley twin had said.

They had a final practice tonight. The pitch was booked for later on, after the Hufflepuffs had had their final practice. Oliver, Caleb and Angelo walked down to the pitch together swigging more pumpkin juice from flasks and when they got there, the Hufflepuff Chasers were just leaving. They nodded as they passed each other. Oliver knew them all by sight. Ordinarily, they would've commented on the pitch conditions, or on Caleb's new broom, but they were all a little tense. A tall, blond boy (Oliver thought his name might be Rollo) turned to them just as they thought the opportunity had been and gone.

'You have a new Chaser, yeah?' His face was friendly and open. Like most Hufflepuffs, he was merely making jovial conversation to ease any hostility.

'Yeah, we do. And she's going to knock you off your brooms.' Caleb responded, though his tone was harmless and his smile huge.

Angelo joined in. 'Yeah, second practice she whipped Oliver.' He jabbed Oliver in the side with his broom as the Hufflepuffs and two Beaters roared with laughter.

'We'll have to slip her a Galleon to play for us!' Rollo retorted in jest as they waved goodbye and continued up to the castle.

Oliver cuffed Angelo over the head and wrestled the broom away.

'Ooh, the Keeper's getting worked up!' Angelo sang from the headlock Oliver imposed on him. Oliver tapped the broom handle on Angelo's head lightly.

'Not as bad as your going to be when I snap your broom in half.'

'Or as bad as you'll be when I hit you with a Bludger tonight.' Angelo shot back. Oliver barked with laughter and released him.

Silently as a shadow, Alicia walked past them, clutching her broom. Caleb swore and jumped.

'Scared me, Spinnet!'

Alicia looked up, startled, as though surprised to suddenly find herself surrounded by company.

'Have to do that to the Keeper tomorrow,' Angelo grinned at her. She nodded and attempted a sort of pinched smile before hurrying to the changing rooms.

'…I think you scared her, you idiot.' Caleb snickered to Angelo.

'Shut up, I didn't say anything mean. Or scary.'

Oliver watched her go in silence. Every time he saw her a tiny knot of guilt twisted in his stomach. Most of the time she looked dreadfully nervous and he had no doubt that his less-than-warm reception when she joined the team had contributed to this. And for a while he'd resented her for it. Now he just felt miserable.

Charlie arrived then, jogging toward the pitch with a quick 'Hi guys,' as he went, and Isobel and Celeste arrived just as the boys reached the changing rooms. Charlie hands shook as he went over their plan of attack for the millionth time.

'Calm down, Charlie, we've done plenty of practice. And played plenty of matches,' Isobel's tone was calm and quiet. Charlie raked his fingers through his mop of hair, his eyes bloodshot as he muttered.

'I know, I know, its just…first match of the school year…and such….other…things…' he picked up his broom and strode out of the room suddenly. The rest of the team looked around at each other, stifling smiles, before Celeste got up and smoothed her robes, composed.

'Let's practice now.'


End file.
